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Robsoul
Robsoul aka Rob, a disillusioned magician is 33.77 years old, has been a member since August 23, 2004, has scored 19677 submissions, giving an average score of 2.17.
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  Apr 27 '07 by Robsoul        43 Comments        Watch this      Share:  Share on facebook    Share on delicious    Share on digg    Share on MySpace    Tweet this    Stumble this    Share this on Kaboodle   
Just got back from watching the HELVETICA documentary currently touring the US.

We saw it at a great location, Laguna Beach, south of LA. Funny thing was we're standing in this long line of design dweebs, art students, etc... ppl would come by and ask us what movie we were waiting to get in to, "Helvetica ofcourse, it's the new suspense thriller, haven't you heard?" At least that's what we ended up saying because how do you explain to ppl you're waiting in line to see a movie about a font.

It was very intriguing with exceptional interviews, perfect imagery and a lovely soundtrack to boot. I would NOT recommend this for a first date movie unless you are both design, type/ font nerds..... Hell, there was one part toward the end where they were showing a poster and the kerning was terrible (NAIL), you just heard ppl in the audience, including yourself, saying "KERNING!" ha, bliss, hahhaa. Some ppl also got up and never came back but it was a full house. David Carson was also supposed to do an interview afterwards but failed to show up.

So, why did I post this under this particular design? There were some that were so offended by the fact I settled for Helvetica, as if I were some design student dropout. They were sincerely disgusted by this tee specifically because of the type, at least I'm talking about the ppl with a design education/background (actually even ppl w/o any design knowledge summed it up as an absurdly plain font with some scribbles, a perfect description I guess). I know that some of the ppl in the movie I saw tonite would continue to be disgusted but I also felt vindicated to some degree, although I never felt I did something wrong to begin with. When I initially created it I had multiple type solutions, many hand rendered, but I just kept going back to this initial solution. The Helvetica juxtaposed with the scribbles, the conformity and the recklessness, the black and the pink. It doesn't really matter but I just wanted to post this after seeing the movie and I hope some of you check it out.



Robsoul
   Robsoul on Apr 27 '07 at 11:24am
Obviously this topic is too hot to touch, ha.
maija
maija on Apr 27 '07 at 11:44am
I'm going to see it a week Tuesday.

I found a folder full of gold Helvetica Letraset in my filing cabinet the other day.
shirtflirt
shirtflirt on Apr 27 '07 at 11:45am
rob you're in california?

Robsoul
   Robsoul on Apr 27 '07 at 12:13pm
Yes, San Diego.

It is playing in San Diego on July 10 @ Museum of Contemporary Art. I just couldn't wait ;-)

4 days later
Monkey III
   Monkey III on May 02 '07 at 9:17am
I'm have an helvetica parody in the works -- and I can't wait for people to bash my nuts for it. Yeah and the movie is good. A lot of people in there who had their share in graphic design.
Monkey III
   Monkey III on May 02 '07 at 9:18am
I have* -- godda*^$&%
steven218
   steven218 on May 02 '07 at 9:25am
i don't care what any design snob says, i love helvetica. love it.
in my ten+ years as a professional designer i've seen font fads come and go, but the classics stay. Say what you like, desptie a few very minor faults, it's great.
steven218
   steven218 on May 02 '07 at 9:27am
just to add to that, i think the reason design snobs hate it is because it comes as a standard system font. so they automatically dislike in the same way they dislike other system fonts as not being exclusive enough for them.

they'd rather use something no one else has and feel great about themselves - it's like being into the band no one else knows about.
13strong
13strong on May 02 '07 at 9:29am
I would like to see this film, but I'm slightly worried that not being a design/font person (at least, not in the proper, educated sense) I would be bored senseless.

I also love this font, the style that Helvetica was designed to compete with:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akzidenz_Grotesk

What a fucking great name for a font. Good band name too. Might do a design around it.
Monkey III
   Monkey III on May 02 '07 at 9:31am
yeah -- it's an excellent font. Not only Apple mac took it, but also microsoft (with a twist: Arial). I'ts a very neutral font. That's why you can use it for almost everything.
steven218
   steven218 on May 02 '07 at 9:33am
to be honest i use akzidenz more than i do helvetica - it's got a lot of quirks that were taken out when they redrew it for H, and has a little more character
only1dede
only1dede on May 02 '07 at 9:35am
a movie about a font, my dreams came true
Robsoul
   Robsoul on May 02 '07 at 11:48am
re: 13strong, you should check it out but sure, the is a possibility that you may be bored. However, the interviews are very engaging imo and they do go into the history of "The Swiss Font"
78 days later
tobasco
tobasco on Jul 20 '07 at 2:12am
HEY! you're probably not going to read this but I'm posting anyway.

Just saw it the other day and I loved it!!!!! GREAT interviews as you said (how funny was the German guy in Berlin, he had some classic lines) and the overall feel was really up beat and cool.

Anyway just saying it was cool and I really enjoyed it.
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Jul 20 '07 at 2:16am
No, I'm glad you dug it. I loved that German guy, his perspective on Helvetica was hilarious but also very interesting.

tobasco
tobasco on Jul 20 '07 at 2:20am
Yeah, the people who didn't like it vs the people who did (or just got along with it) was a really interesting way of doing it.

The director had a little talk before it came on and he was a really cool guy too, had a good sense of humour anyway, it was really great that he made the effort to come to NZ as well. Kudos to him.

I thought the American guy who was expaining how all the logo's got changed basically overnight was FANTASTIC.

DRINK COKE PERIOD!

Wideco!
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Jul 20 '07 at 2:21am
hahha, definitely. hmmm, I'm trying to remember, was that David Carson's segment?

tobasco
tobasco on Jul 20 '07 at 2:23am
No. The really loud guy with glasses. I can't remember his name (I have no memory skills). Dammit.

It's definatly one to own though.
shirtflirt
shirtflirt on Jul 20 '07 at 2:24am
wifey n i got married at surf n sand in laguna
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Jul 20 '07 at 2:26am
Ah, it was the German then still right?

tobasco
tobasco on Jul 20 '07 at 2:26am
Nice, I want to get married somewhere not in a church too. Outside in the world. Possibly in space.
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Jul 20 '07 at 2:26am
it's a beautiful place shirtflirt, lots of traffic though.

littlem
littlem on Jul 20 '07 at 2:27am
i used to work in laguna beach
shirtflirt
shirtflirt on Jul 20 '07 at 2:28am
yeah, pch and...well that's the only real thorough fare.

yeah, we got married on the beach, then had an outdoor, nighttime, dinner n drinks type o thingy.

Robsoul
   Robsoul on Jul 20 '07 at 2:30am
I thought the American guy who was expaining how all the logo's got changed basically overnight was FANTASTIC.

DRINK COKE PERIOD!



"american guy"


damn, I just need to see it again.



kayceislost
kayceislost on Jul 20 '07 at 2:31am
i love helvetica. i didnt realize you got a lot of crap when this was submitted/printed.
tobasco
tobasco on Jul 20 '07 at 2:36am
Nah, an american guy, he was leafing through design books showing us before and afters.

Sorry I'm rather shit at explaining things!
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Jul 20 '07 at 7:27pm
You explained it fine, I just didn't read it correctly and it was rather late last night.

But, yeah, I need to see that flick again.

Robsoul
   Robsoul on Jul 20 '07 at 7:29pm
Oh, I totally remember now, yeah, he was showing the old add campaigns, I think like 50s vs 70s. He was focusing on the text and how everything use to be cursive serif fonts.



221 days later
ehbeybey
ehbeybey on Feb 27 '08 at 1:35am
I LOVE this shirt and really hope it reprints so I can get my hands on one.
285 days later
Sexy Sadie
Sexy Sadie on Dec 08 '08 at 1:19pm
they've finally reprinted this shirt! i've been waiting SO long!

BUT...it's on pink! WHY?!?!?
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Dec 08 '08 at 1:30pm
for extra sexiness?
soyturista
soyturista on Dec 08 '08 at 2:36pm
Oh, I love this shirt but I wanted it in black!
neanna
neanna on Dec 09 '08 at 2:17am
me, too!!!! :(
MrsMcMahon
MrsMcMahon on Dec 09 '08 at 9:58pm
The title of this shirt reminded me of the Dane Cook joke where he talks about girls going to the clubs because they "just wanna dance."

"No guys tonight! F*** guys! Let's just stand in a circle around our shoes and our pocketbooks and let's just dance. If guys come up we'll taser them. Zzzz! You'll never hear a guy say to his buddy, 'hey Mike! Michael! Tonight dude, I gotta dance. I just want to express myself through the art of dance. I don't want to see a chick."

LMAO! Love it! I might just get it.
4 days later
SushiGrenade
SushiGrenade on Dec 14 '08 at 6:42am
Ugly. Looks like it was made in MS Paint in 2 minutes. Check out those aliased lines. How can something like this get printed? Don't waste money on that one.
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Dec 15 '08 at 11:36am
yeah, look at those aliased lines, LOL
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Dec 15 '08 at 12:42pm
oh, and I finally picked up the DVD of Helvetica, can't wait to watch it again.
Edword
   Edword on Dec 15 '08 at 12:43pm
it was good.
279 days later
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Sep 21 '09 at 12:45pm
Thanks for the reprint Threadless. The colors on the hoodie are pretty craze, which is good considering the colors of the t-shirt.
37 days later
bratcorenz
bratcorenz on Oct 29 '09 at 6:49am
This came in the mail today and I freakin loooooooooove it. Rob, you're a genius. I prefer Arial, haha.

http://ilovetypography.com/2009/01/05/to-a-typetastic-new-year/

Presumably you've already seen this tattoo... made me crack up, and think of that film
Robsoul
   Robsoul on Oct 29 '09 at 11:08am
omg, so classic, the "tramp stamp" helvetica tattoo. I'm glad to say that is not me.
littlem
littlem on Oct 29 '09 at 12:28pm
i love the hoodie colours!
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